Boaters

ARTICLES ABOUT BOATERS BY DATE - PAGE 5

The body of an unidentified woman was found floating in Lake Michigan off North Avenue Beach Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. A boater saw the body in the water about three-quarters of a mile offshore at 2:30 p.m. and called 911, police said. Fire Department personnel responded and a police marine unit boat was launched to recover the body. The body appeared to be that of a woman in her 40s and did not have any clothing. There were no visible signs of trauma. It appeared she had been in the water for a day or two, police said.

By Emily S. Achenbaum and Ralph Zahorik, CHICAGO TRIBUNE and Emily S. Achenbaum is a Tribune reporter and Ralph Zahorik is a freelance reporter | July 5, 2008

Bill Bouwens relaxed on his 36-foot express cruiser this week in Waukegan Harbor, where his boat will stay docked a lot more often this summer. That's the sacrifice Bouwens says he'll make because filling up his 300-gallon tank costs a whopping $1,300 or more. Prices like those are forcing Bouwens and others to rethink how they use their boats. For many, it means sitting on the vessel while it remains in the harbor, or picnicking at the marina instead of on the water. "It's going to slow me down a lot," said Bouwens, 61, a semi-retired businessman from Wadsworth.

The return of boaters to the Chain O' Lakes on Thursday morning was a welcome sign for business owners who make the bulk of their yearly income between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The bad news came Thursday afternoon when Lake County officials said there's virtually nothing to stop the Chain from flooding again if the area is hit with more downpours like the ones that flooded more than 400 homes and businesses this month. "It's not going to be a quick fix," Lake County Board Chairwoman Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa)

As onlookers screamed for help, one man drowned and two others were rescued Monday when a small rental boat capsized in the swift currents of the flooded Fox River near McHenry. Gregory Garner was fishing about 9:45 a.m. when he saw three men in a rowboat that was tipping over near the Stratton Lock and Dam. Amid cries from onlookers, Garner, an instructor at the Great Lakes Naval Training Academy, said he jumped in a boat.The men had been trying to reach a tiny island in the river known by anglers for prime fishing.

The first of 260 new floating docks are in place at Waukegan Harbor, meaning some boaters no longer have to clamber 5 or 6 feet down ladders to reach their craft. Except for the new floating docks, Waukegan Harbor's recreational docks and piers are rigid concrete, steel and wood structures at least 20 years old. As the lake level has dropped, boats have fallen well below the level of the piers. The floating docks will rise and fall with the lake. "It's like night and day," said Bill Koperny, a retired tool-and-die designer from Libertyville, as he stood next to his 37-foot express cruiser this month.

The Bush administration wants to enlist the country's 80 million recreational boaters to help guard against terrorists. On Monday, officials will announce the plan, which asks states to develop and enforce safety standards for recreational boaters and asks boaters to look for and report suspicious behavior on the water -- much like a neighborhood watch program. According to an April 23 intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press, "The use of a small boat as a weapon is likely to remain Al Qaeda's weapon of choice in the maritime environment."

State and local officials on Wednesday declared the Des Plaines River off limits to boaters from the Wisconsin state line to Lake-Cook Road. "The water is very swift, and there's lots of debris, so it's a hazard to be in it in a canoe or kayak," said Kent McKenzie, coordinator for the Lake County Emergency Management Agency. The restriction will remain in place for 90 days or until it is rescinded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, officials said. The river has been at or near flood stage in recent days as snow has melted, McKenzie said.

Never mind the snow on the ground. Mike Fazekas was thinking about the next boating season, which explained the words written in black marker below his Mohawk haircut: "No Speed Limit." Fazekas of McHenry and dozens of people of like mind attended a recent meeting of the Fox Waterway Agency, where officials are considering whether to post a speed limit to cut down on complaints about noise. The waterway agency, which governs the Chain o' Lakes and 30 miles of the Fox River from the Wisconsin border to Algonquin, also has safety concerns, officials said.

The Chicago Park District hopes to address complaints against its harbor-management company by forming an advisory committee made up largely of boaters and sending in "secret shoppers" to evaluate the company's customer service practices. Parks Supt. Tim Mitchell announced the measures at a meeting Wednesday where board members approved another five-year contract with Westrec Marinas, the company that has managed city harbors for the last 12 years. Some boaters have complained at public hearings that Westrec does not regularly clean restrooms, and that Westrec crews are short-staffed and not very diligent.